Chapter 250 The Hidden Currents
The special care ward is no longer just a monotonous white space.
Since Lu Jingyan gave the order, in just half a day, this place has been transformed into a small indoor garden. From the vibrant roses to the delicate lilies and the unnamed wildflowers, the entire room is filled with a rich fragrance.
Lu Jingyue was mostly quiet, but no longer in that deathly emptiness. She would hug her plush rabbit, sit by the window, her gaze following the dust motes dancing in the sunlight. Occasionally, she would reach out her slender fingers and carefully touch the nearest petal.
Her movements were very gentle, and when her fingertips touched that soft, slightly cool touch, the corners of her mouth would involuntarily curve upwards into a small arc.
Meng Wan sat on the sofa not far away, a book in her hand, but her eyes never left her daughter. Seeing that smile, her eyes instantly welled up with tears. She quickly lowered her head, hiding her face with the book, not wanting her emotions to affect her daughter.
Su Wantang observed all of this, but her mind was racing as she analyzed the situation.
She noticed that Lu Jingyue's expressions of pleasure and curiosity were mostly directed at the flowers she had moved from the Begonia Space. Those flowers, watered with the spiritual spring water, not only had more vibrant colors but also a purer fragrance.
It seems we need to find a way to create a better environment for Yueyue.
In the afternoon, Su Wantang found Meng Wan, who was explaining the menu to the nurse.
"mom."
"Hey, Wan Tang, what's wrong?" Meng Wan turned around, a gentle smile on her face.
"I was thinking, could we perhaps clear out a small patch of land behind our house in the compound and make a little flower garden?" Su Wantang said earnestly.
“Yueyue loves flowers, and I’ve noticed that she seems more energetic when she’s around them. I was thinking that if I planted some myself, she could see them every day, which might be good for her recovery.”
Meng Wan's eyes lit up when she heard that.
"Great! Of course it's great! This is wonderful!" She grabbed Su Wantang's hand, so excited that she was almost incoherent.
"You don't need to worry about this, I'll take care of it! I'll go find someone this afternoon and make sure it's all set up perfectly for you! Just give me a list of whatever seeds or tools you need!"
Meng Wan now obeys her daughter-in-law's every word and wishes she could give her her whole heart.
Su Wantang smiled and said, "Thank you, Mom."
...
Meanwhile, in the military compound in the western suburbs of Beijing.
Lu Jingyan had just finished a meeting and hadn't even had time to change out of his crisp military uniform. Instead of going straight home, he leisurely patrolled the compound.
The compound was heavily guarded, with sentries every three or five steps, but his hawk-like eyes still caught a hint of something amiss.
On the path leading to the residential area, two men in gray Zhongshan suits were strolling along, seemingly taking a leisurely walk. However, their eyes didn't seem to be wandering; instead, they quickly scanned the layout of each building, even lingering for a moment on the apartment building numbers.
They are not from the compound.
Lu Jingyan remained expressionless, but made a subtle gesture toward a sentry not far away.
The sentry immediately understood, straightened his back, and led the other two soldiers quickly over.
"Comrade, please show your identification."
The two men were clearly flustered. They exchanged a glance, and one of them forced a smile: "Comrade, we're here to find someone... to find Deputy Regiment Commander Wang."
The sentry's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Which Deputy Regiment Commander Wang? Which unit are you from? Where is your visit request form?"
A barrage of questions made the two men sweat and stammer, unable to answer.
"Come with us to the guard post." The sentry gestured for them to proceed.
As the two were forcibly taken away, Lu Jingyan's eyes turned cold.
Back in his office, he had just sat down when Gao Jianjun knocked on the door and came in.
"Brigade Commander, there's a situation." Gao Jianjun's expression was very serious.
"explain."
"Recently, a new force has emerged in Beijing's underground black market. They operate very discreetly, but their scale is considerable," Gao Jianjun continued, handing over a briefing.
"They are recruiting, specifically targeting veterans who have some skills but are currently struggling financially. The pay is very high, several times the normal market wage."
Lu Jingyan's gaze fell on the report, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.
“Eagle’s Nest.” He uttered the two words, his voice devoid of any warmth.
Gao Jianjun was taken aback: "Brigade Commander, you mean..."
"The Hong Kong island was just uprooted, and now this one is popping up. This tactic is like 'Mr. Shadow' changing his skin."
"He's in Beijing, rebuilding his old base."
"Then we..."
"Keep a close eye on them!" Lu Jingyan's command was concise and forceful.
"Find out exactly who they recruited, where they operate, and where their contact points are. This time, I'm going to use a net to wipe out all these rats hiding in the gutter!"
"Yes, sir!" Gao Jianjun snapped to attention, saluted, and turned to leave quickly.
Silence returned to the office. Lu Jingyan looked out the window; the sky over Beijing was about to change.
...
The next morning, Meng Wan's efficiency was astonishing.
She not only hired a construction team, but also personally supervised the start of construction on the largest and sunniest open space in the Lu family's backyard.
Su Wantang stood to the side, watching the workers busily leveling the land and building low brick walls. While conceiving the layout of the flower bed, she strolled casually in a corner of the yard.
Soon, her gaze was drawn to a small mound almost completely covered by weeds and ivy.
She felt a slight cool breeze seeping out from the gaps in the vines.
She walked over and parted the tangled vines.
Below the earthen slope, a rusty, round iron ring, embedded in a thick cement slab, suddenly appeared before our eyes.
This is the entrance to an abandoned air-raid shelter that has been forgotten for who knows how many years.
A thoughtful glint flashed in Su Wantang's eyes. She didn't make a sound, but silently noted the location, then casually walked away to continue discussing the flowerbed design with Meng Wan.
This place is simply a gift from heaven.
That night, the two returned to their home in the compound.
Lu Jingyan came out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets still clung to his bronze skin, and his taut abs and V-line were particularly eye-catching under the light. He walked to the desk and saw Su Wantang still scribbling and drawing on a pile of blueprints and documents that he couldn't understand.
He didn't say anything, but pulled her into his arms from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head and gently rubbing it.
The familiar, moist masculine scent enveloped her, and Su Wantang's tense nerves relaxed instantly. She leaned her entire body weight against his broad chest.
"You're back?"
"Hmm." Lu Jingyan smelled her pleasant fragrance. He noticed the briefings about the unusual events in Beijing beside her and quietly recounted the day's events.
"...The waters of Beijing are getting muddy." He placed his large hand over her slightly cool small hand.
"Be very careful while I'm gone. I'll have Qin Zheng's men follow you 24/7. No matter where you go, you must take them with you."
His voice was filled with barely suppressed worry.
Su Wantang took his hand in return and looked up at him.
"Don't worry, I'm not a helpless child anymore." Her voice was calm and reassuring.
She knew there was danger, but she was never afraid of it. She had the Begonia Space, Qin Zheng, and the intelligence network and subordinates she had built from scratch.
She looked at the wrinkles on the man's brow caused by worry, and gently smoothed them out with her fingers.
"Don't always frown, or you'll look like an old man, and then I won't want you anymore."
Lu Jingyan caught her mischievous fingers, brought them to his lips, gently bit them, and then gave her a tender kiss, which landed on her palm.
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